Tired of the withdrawals from top named tennis players, the WTA will make its Tier 1 one tournaments mandatory for qualified players beginning in 2004. The 10 tournaments will now be called the WTMS (Women’s Tennis Masters Series) and will be comprised of events in Asia, North America and Europe.

Regardless of the increase in injuries, the WTA believes forcing players to compete in the biggest tournaments is healthy for the game. Unlike the men’s tour, the women will not be required to exceed 17 tournaments. A woman competing in the Grand Slams, WTMS and Tour Championships will only be required to enter 2 additional tournaments. This new change has left many tournament directors fuming.

“How the heck am I going to get the big names to show up to my tournament? What about me? What’s going to happen to me?” said one nervous tournament director.

For each WTMS event missed, a player will be fined up to $500,000 and will also be given a mandatory “zero” towards rankings. A player missing five or more WTMS events will be slapped on the wrist and sent to bed without any supper.

Said Maria Sharapova, “I can’t believe these guys have the nerve, to force us to enter all those tournaments. I mean, a lot of people don’t play Tokyo because it’s right after the Australian. I’d like to choose my own (expletive) tournaments.”

Chimed Lindsay Davenport, “I think this change will only increase the number of injuries on the tour. Plus, I really don’t want to play Berlin and Rome. I hate playing on those damn bricks.”

Ana Ivanovic however, thinks the change is good for the tour. “I think it’s a great decision on the WTA’s part. Actually, I think everything the WTA does is just wonderful.”

Jelena Jankovic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

The WTA will produce WTMS memorabilia starting at the Tokyo event in February. Items will include pink WTMS t-shirts, Maria Sharapova dolls clad in a pink WTMS outfit and posters of popular players wearing pink WTMS shirts.

WTA CEO Larry Scott said, “I think the WTMS will be a tremendous success. I think this is a huge step for women’s sports.”

The WTA believes the WTMS will help improve television ratings. “I think networks will now feel much more comfortable broadcasting tournaments. Now we know the big names will show up.”

Tired of the withdrawals from top named tennis players, the WTA will make its Tier 1 one tournaments mandatory for qualified players beginning in 2004. The 10 tournaments will now be called the WTMS (Women’s Tennis Masters Series) and will be comprised of events in Asia, North America and Europe.

Regardless of the increase in injuries, the WTA believes forcing players to compete in the biggest tournaments is healthy for the game. Unlike the men’s tour, the women will not be required to exceed 17 tournaments. A woman competing in the Grand Slams, WTMS and Tour Championships will only be required to enter 2 additional tournaments. This new change has left many tournament directors fuming.

“How the heck am I going to get the big names to show up to my tournament? What about me? What’s going to happen to me?” said one nervous tournament director.

For each WTMS event missed, a player will be fined up to $500,000 and will also be given a mandatory “zero” towards rankings. A player missing five or more WTMS events will be slapped on the wrist and sent to bed without any supper.

Said Jennifer Capriati, “I can’t believe these guys have the nerve, to, you know, force us to enter all those tournaments. I mean, a lot of people don’t play Tokyo because it’s right after the Australian. I’d like to choose my own (expletive) tournaments.”

Chimed Lindsay Davenport, “I think this change will only increase the number of injuries on the tour. Plus, I really don’t want to play Berlin and Rome. I hate playing on those damn bricks.”

Kim Clijsters however, thinks the change is good for the tour. “I think it’s a great decision on the WTA’s part. Actually, I think everything the WTA does is just wonderful.”

Jelena Dokic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

The WTA will produce WTMS memorabilia starting at the Tokyo event in February. Items will include pink WTMS t-shirts, Anna Kournikova dolls clad in a pink WTMS outfit and posters of popular players wearing pink WTMS shirts.

WTA CEO Larry Scott said, “I think the WTMS will be a tremendous success. I think this is a huge step for women’s sports.”

The WTA believes the WTMS will help improve television ratings. “I think networks will now feel much more comfortable broadcasting tournaments. Now we know the big names will show up.”

:lol: Very funny.....if this was true than the WTA-tour would receive at least a million yearly, ´cause there´s no way the Williamses will ever return to IW.

S-T-E-V-E

Oct 2nd, 2003, 09:18 PM

:eek: I can't believe this...what did they smoke?

irma

Oct 2nd, 2003, 09:21 PM

:lol:

CJ07

Oct 2nd, 2003, 09:56 PM

thats what they need to do
not all, but require at least 6

TM

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:00 PM

ROTFLMAO!!

yeeeeee--ah! the wta is so riddikulus

wongqks

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:00 PM

You deserve some rep points for this, very funny :D

Dava

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:05 PM

Well part of me thinks yes, this is a good idea, but...

Keith

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:31 PM

Nice! Usually Tee Rexx and other people write these up and they have errors all over the place. This was a well written piece!

Kart

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:31 PM

Jelena Dokic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

:rolls:

Fantasy Season

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:42 PM

Jelena Dokic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

:haha:

Seriously though, Tier I's should be something like the Masters Series.

Lady

Oct 2nd, 2003, 10:55 PM

:haha: :worship: at JennyS

Comments from Jelena & Kim were just :lol: :haha:

Knizzle

Oct 2nd, 2003, 11:03 PM

People from other boards have seen this article and thought it to be real. It may be time to put a disclaimer on it.

Volcana

Oct 2nd, 2003, 11:31 PM

You may not be familiar with the history that led to the WTA. The ITF used to think it could dictate terms to the women. The female players formed the WTA to get control of the entertainment resource, namely the players, and make sure they were making the money off it.

It worked.

It would work now. Martina Navratilova says repeatedly it's time to blow up the WTA and start all over.

This policy would go a long way toward making a player rebellion a little more likely. If the Williams Sisters just happened to play an exhibition in Sydney at the same time as the final, that's pure Capitalism. Two years of that and there is no Sydney. The WTA is decreasing the number of tournaments as it is.

This is NOT a good idea.

Brian Stewart

Oct 3rd, 2003, 06:19 AM

I must be slipping a bit. It took a couple of sentences before I realized this was a spoof. :)

Obviously, such a move would be a disaster for the tour. As it currently stands, in a normal year there are about 2 dozen WTA events outside the slams where a significant number of top 10 players show up. A proposal like this would cut that to less than half, and sink many of the tournaments. This would mean less events for players, less opportunities for fans to see the top players and get excited about tennis, etc. It would begin a downward spiral. As tournaments dried up, less opportunities for players from different countries to play. Which would lessen the talent pool, and shrink the potential market for the product. The open era is full of examples of moderately talented players emerging from a country, then more talented players following. By forcing top players to all concentrate on a few tourneys, rather than share the wealth and boost the profile of the sport globally, it would have a negative effect on the tour.

I certainly hope this idea remains just a spoof, and doesn't become a tragic reality.

Fingon

Oct 3rd, 2003, 06:25 AM

You may not be familiar with the history that led to the WTA. The ITF used to think it could dictate terms to the women.

The ITF, the WTA and everyone should realize they can't dictate terms to women :D

Hurley

Oct 3rd, 2003, 06:30 AM

People from other boards have seen this article and thought it to be real.

Dear Lord. :rolleyes:

It was a great spoof, but really...

I think it is an excellent idea, though!

Dymension

Oct 3rd, 2003, 08:42 AM

Funny stuff JennyS :lol: :lol:

DEETHELICK

Oct 3rd, 2003, 08:56 AM

LOL! Funny post! :)

gorecki

Oct 3rd, 2003, 09:23 AM

Jelena Dokic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

nearly choked on my cereal and milk when i read the 'player's comments', esp. Jelena. :chuckle*

em, if the WTA does follow the trend like the article suggests, what would happen to the up-and-coming young gals working their way up the rankings on the lower tiered events???

Fantastic

Oct 3rd, 2003, 04:11 PM

I think Grand Slams should be mandatory so that you cannot replace a bad Grand Slam performance with another tournament where you happen to do better.

Also mandatory should be a choice between either/or: Indian Wells/Miami, Rome/Berlin, Zurich/Moscow, San Diego/Montreal. So they have to play four of those. That's eight compulsories in a year. Even Venus and Serena could manage that.

Monsters

Oct 3rd, 2003, 04:13 PM

I think Grand Slams should be mandatory so that you cannot replace a bad Grand Slam performance with another tournament where you happen to do better.

Also mandatory should be a choice between either/or: Indian Wells/Miami, Rome/Berlin, Zurich/Moscow, San Diego/Montreal. So they have to play four of those. That's eight compulsories in a year. Even Venus and Serena could manage that.
mandatory is stupid......just look at ATP ranking:rolleyes:
Indian Wells and Miami are side by side, if you are injured in one,
this kinda ranking wont do justice....so, nah........:)

vogus

Oct 3rd, 2003, 04:46 PM

agree w/ Brian Stewart

mandatory tournaments are a terrible idea for the WTA

JennyS

Oct 3rd, 2003, 05:00 PM

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the spoof article. I agree they would never make all the tier 1's mandatory.

WtaTour4Ever

Oct 4th, 2003, 05:04 AM

I wish it were true :-)

Brian Stewart

Oct 4th, 2003, 06:08 AM

However, they are mandating pleated skirts and frilly knickers.

:)

moby

Oct 4th, 2003, 12:41 PM

lol, this is really very well written

i only got suspicious when "lindsay" said "i hate playing on those damn bricks" and "kim's" comment was just lol

Meesh

Oct 4th, 2003, 12:50 PM

LOL, Well done! :worship: :worship:

I now look for valid URL's on stuff like this! It's a great idea but like someone else said maybe only make 6 mandatory.

I'm bumping this (edited version) of a fake article I wrote 4 1/2 years ago. I changed some of the players' names around to fit the current tour.

Cp6uja

May 5th, 2008, 07:11 AM

I'm bumping this (edited version) of a fake article I wrote 4 1/2 years ago. I changed some of the players' names around to fit the current tour.Since 2009 girls will not play 4 slams and 10 masters something similar like ATP. New formula will be 4 slams and 4 (mandatory) masters and that is only tournaments which WTA forced theirs players to play - for other tournaments we will have even restrictions... so if you want to create better fake article about next season shedule Jelena Jankovic for example will cry why WTA forbid her to play every week...etc

Slutiana

May 5th, 2008, 09:32 AM

:lol: I love the fact that you changed the names. :haha:

When I first read it, I was thinking how the hell does anyone know about Ivanopvic in 2003? :lol:

jujufreak

May 5th, 2008, 09:33 AM

that formula would've been better since the top players would have been allowed to choose 2 tournaments where they wanted to play, next year many tournaments are already condemned and others (like Charleston) will have to make tough decisions about who they'll invite to play. Especially the restrictions make no sense...

InsideOut.

May 5th, 2008, 11:54 AM

You left out Serena.

kittyking

May 5th, 2008, 12:09 PM

Jelena Dokic said, “I don’t really see any difference. I play every week anyway.”

:rolls:

Kworb

May 5th, 2008, 12:13 PM

Wow, Dokic played 29 tournaments in 2002 and 30 tournaments in 2003 :spit:

faboozadoo15

May 5th, 2008, 12:14 PM

Wow, Dokic played 29 tournaments in 2002 and 30 tournaments in 2003 :spit: